Commuters in several districts of Rangpur region suffered a lot yesterday as the transport workers started strike protesting the Road Transport Bill-2018.

The workers have been demanding scrapping of the bill, which has the provision of death sentence for drivers if they deliberately kill while driving. The bill also proposes punishment of five years' imprisonment for causing death of a person by reckless driving.

However, Akter Hossain Badal, president of Rangpur Division Road Transport Workers' Federation, said he knew nothing about the strike.

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According to the passengers, plying of buses from Rangpur to Nilphamari, Kurigram, Dinajpur and Gaibandha remained suspended from yesterday noon. However, buses plied inter-upazila routes in Dinajpur, Thakurgaon and Panchagarh.

People were seen going to their destinations by three-wheelers in the districts.

M Rafiq, president of Dinajpur Transport Workers' Union, said he was unaware about the strike.

Meanwhile, Mokbul Hossain, president Gaibandha Motor Malik Samity, said bus labourers suddenly stopped plying all the buses to and from Gaibandha without any prior notice, protesting the proposed transport bill.

 Our Dinajpur and Gaibandha correspondents contributed to the report.